We’re into Matchday 2 of the FIFA World Cup, and here’s where things really get interesting.
Teams who dropped points in their opener are looking to bounce back, while those who won are hoping to confirm their passage to the knockout stage before their third game.
Thursday was a good day for the co-hosts. Mexico earned a hard-fought win over South Korea to make it two wins from two, while Canada got their first win on the board with a phenomenally one-sided victory over Qatar.
Prior to that, Switzerland brushed off their late draw with Qatar by easing to a 4-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, a game that took a while to get going before substitutions really had a say on matters.
We also have an interesting Ask Opta question about late goals, and as it’s Friday, it’s the return of the five-question quiz.
💪 STAT - Sensational Subs
Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina was not a classic, or at least, for the first 70 minutes it wasn’t.
Then, Murat Yakin turned to his bench and brought on some match winners.
Johan Manzambi had an impressive season with Europa League finalists Freiburg, and some will have expected him to start this one, but he more than made up for it when he pulled off a thumping volley to open the scoring, also adding another later on. At 20 years and 247 days old, Manzambi became the youngest player in men’s World Cup history to score two or more goals in a game as a substitute, and the first ever to do so for Switzerland at the tournament.